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The Hills v Merrion: Division 1 at Milverton, 6th August

I checked the rainfall radar before I left Ballinteer for Fingal, and there were a few showers about, but nothing serious.  Milverton looked in good nick, the weather was fine, and it was a surprise to hear that rain had delayed the starts in Sandymount.  Naseer made the toss in the absence of the still to arrive Mike Baumgart, won it, and asked Merrion to bat.

Kade Beasley clipped a Naseer leg stump half volley through mid wicket in the first over and then took a single, but good bowling meant that only two singles and two wides were added to the score in the next six overs.  Beazo then pounced on a half volley from Joseph Clinton, and the boundary was followed by five wides, a two and a single.

But then he chased a Naseer leg cutter into Yogesh's hands at slip, and it was 21-1.  Dom Joyce slashed Naseer through the slips at a catchable height, and it was hard work for him and John Anderson.  After the bowling power play was completed, Tomas Murphy relieved Naseer from the pavilion end while Naz went to slip for a breather.

There he put down Anderson on 7, and an over later made a hash of a firm hit to mid off and conceded four runs.  He wasn't at all happy with himself.  The batsmen made steady progress to 88-1 at drinks.  Mark Dwyer had just started a spell from the pavilion end, while Joseph Clinton was nearing the end of his set from the Blackhills end.

Joyce reached 50 in the 30th over, then in the 32nd, Joseph's last, Anderson nicked off for 28, Calder claiming a smart catch low and wide to his right.  Last weekend's eight-for had obviously improved Dwyer's confidence no end, because he was really bowling, with turn and flight, instead of doing what he often does, just putting it there and hoping for the best.

Tyrone Kane came and went for a single, run out backing up over-enthusiastically.  The fielder with the quick, accurate throw?  Naseer, back to his normal, immaculate self!  I don't understand Anderson's reasoning for send in Cillian O'Donoghue and Jeff Short at five and six because, without wishing any disrespect, Killer and Shortie are second team players, and they hadn't a breeze how to play Dwyer.

Mark bowled them both to leave Merrion in bother at 135-5 in the 39th over.  Joyce, dropped behind the stumps on 64 off Dwyer, was still there, batting well, and Rory Allwright came in at seven and immediately looked the number five he can be (but often isn't).  The next nine overs yielded 63 runs  before Joyce holed out for 88.

The last two and a bit overs produced 21 more runs and three more wickets, Allwright well caught by Kumar for 36 off Naseer, then two off successive balls from Luke Clinton.  Patrick Tice defended the hat-trick, and the innings closed on 219-9.  Luke Clinton finished with 3/37 off 8, brother Joseph 1/31, Naseer 2/32 and Dwyer 2/42, each off ten overs.

After the world-famous Kitteringham jam and cream scones, The Hills set off in pursuit of the eminently chaseable 220 to win.  One dark cloud was the loss of Mal Byrne, caught behind in the fourth over.  Other dark clouds appeared overhead, but the rain-bearing bits passed northwards up the coast, depositing just a few spits and spots over the Vineyard ground.

Darryl Calder was surviving, just, nicking Petie through and over the slips, wheras Mike Baumgart looked in really good touch.  He was dropped on 21 when he uppercut to third man and David Watkins made a mess of a regulation catch.  His misery continued a couple of overs later when he was nutmegged in the same position to concede a boundary.  But he's young – his luck would change.

Anderson had settled in to a good spell from the pavilion end, while Alex Chetkovich had sent down seven good overs from the Blackhills end without any luck.  Watkins came on to replace the big Aussie, and served up a half-tracker to Baumgart, on 42 out of 89.  Baumy decided against putting it straight into Joey Archer's field and in favour of pulling it downwards.  The top edge flew straight to Jeff Short, who may be a second team batsman but is a first team catcher.

The back clouds were now gathering, and it became pretty obvious that D/L would come into play.  The Hills were well ahead, and the only thing that would change that was if they kept losing wickets.   Yes, you're ahead of me, that's precisely what they did.  First up, Manu Kumar repeated the Baumgart experience on a Watkins long hop, and Shortie obliged.

Second up, Max Sorensen whacked a six then nicked Anderson through to Tice.  Third up, Calder, who had ground it out to 40, had a lash at Joyce and the bold Jeffrey took catch number three – he's not just a pretty face, in fact, he's not even a pretty face.  But still The Hills were just ahead on D/L, and staying there as Yogesh Kashyap worked his way into the twenties in the company of Murphy.

Matt Petrie switched to the Blackhills end to bowl over number 40.  Yogesh swung him over the slip area and down towards third man.  Chetkovich came racing in and dived full length forward to claim a one-handed catch inches above the turf.  Yogesh stood his ground, umpires Garth and Fourie conferred, and the batsman very reluctantly had to go.

I had a much better view than either umpire, and it was a clean catch.  Unfortunately, Alex had split the webbing between the fingers of his right hand, and had to be taken off for medical attention.  The Hills were now behind on D/L and the rain had started.  Naseer took a boundary behind point off Joyce to narrow the deficit as the rain got heavier.

The score was 166-6 with two balls left in the 41st over when Joyce called for sawdust.  This was sped out to him – the quickest Max Sorensen had moved all day – but as it was scattered around the footholds, Garthie and Louis had decided that the players should come off and the covers go on.  It's always a difficult call, and the temptation is always to finish the over.  If I were being picky, I would say they should have come off the ball before they did.

It was six minutes past seven, so there would be no reduction in overs until 19:36 + 4.  It was still raining at 19:40, but not heavily, and it was beginning to clear to the west (between Balrothery and Balbriggan), though still chucking it down to the southwest (over Balrothery).  By eight the rain was very light – you probably would have played through it, although you certainly wouldn't start in it.

By 20:16 the rain was very, very light, but the surrounds quite wet, and the match reduced by ten overs, meaning to us mere mortals that it was all over, rover, and Merrion had won narrowly on D/L.  But the umpires disappeared for ten minutes before calling the captains out and then declaring the match concluded.  Why the delay?  Answers, on a post card, to the usual address.

The official result was that Merrion had won by 3 runs, D/L.  The Hills were entirely responsible for losing a match they should have won, but in the end they only lost because of one moment of brilliance by Chetkovich.  It was right that it was to trump much bad cricket that was played during the day.